Comments on: Pope warns Lutherans of new Christian challengers to mainline churcheshttp://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/09/23/pope-warns-lutherans-of-new-christian-challengers-to-mainline-churches/
Religion, faith and ethicsFri, 31 Jul 2015 20:47:14 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3By: Pentecostalhttp://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/09/23/pope-warns-lutherans-of-new-christian-challengers-to-mainline-churches/comment-page-1/#comment-31691
Fri, 07 Oct 2011 23:37:41 +0000http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=22938#comment-31691‘overpowering missionary dynamism’ is great. Rather than a new departure this is a return to that church which was blitzing the world before Constantine subverted, and almost totally quenched, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and replaced it by the leading of Peter. It is the church against which ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail.’ .old men shall see visions, and young men will dream dreams.’ It is a powerful endtime pentecostal putsch.
]]>By: nopremhttp://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/09/23/pope-warns-lutherans-of-new-christian-challengers-to-mainline-churches/comment-page-1/#comment-31645
Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:54:22 +0000http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=22938#comment-31645Said the Pope: “This is a form of Christianity with little institutional depth, little rationality and even less dogmatic content, and with little stability.”
So how are these new groups so successful?

And: “This worldwide phenomenon poses a question to us all: what is this new form of Christianity saying to us, for better and for worse?”
The mainstream religious systems in Jesus’ day [Pharisaic Judaism and Jupiter worship] both failed after unsuccessfully opposing the “new” religion. The Pope and his kind should heed the words of a noted religious scholar:
“Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, [even] as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”
Acts 5:34-39, KJV

If another worldwide cleansing from God is imminent- like the Flood, but not the Flood (Gen 9:15)- then it’s appropriate to ask: How many arks was Noah told to build? (Gen 6:14) How were people to be given an opportunity to come to the only safe place? (2 Peter 2:5) Who decided that people had been given enough time to change their course? (Gen 7:16)
Doug in New Mexico

]]>By: Physicianhttp://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2011/09/23/pope-warns-lutherans-of-new-christian-challengers-to-mainline-churches/comment-page-1/#comment-31619
Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:29:48 +0000http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/?p=22938#comment-31619“Pope Benedict…warned his Lutheran hosts on Friday that what he called ‘a new form of Christianity’ posed a challenge to mainline Protestants and Catholics alike….it was clear that the pope…was referring to the evangelical and Pentecostal churches which have been attracting converts from more established churches, especially in Third World countries.”

As I read this, I thought of how sad it is that the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is further promoting divisions, rather than seeing how all of us Christians are alike.

I am a practicing Catholic and I found the Charismatic Renewal in the Roman Catholic Church was uplifting. Under Pope Benedict XVI, I do not hear about the Charismatic Renewal Movement anymore. The theology of this Pope seems to be based on fear rather than love.

There can be unity in diversity. I think God is pleased by the diversity in our ways of giving praise and worship to God.

For the leader of the RCC to more or less say “it has to be my way or the highway” is not respecting what God is working in each person’s heart. This German Pope has been indoctrinated a certain way, and is not open to a more generous respect for the promptings of the Holy Spirit in each person’s life, as Pope John XXIII was when he opened the Second Vatican Council fifty years ago.

In reading the book CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY written by a Dominican priest, I learned that Martin Luther was a well respected Augustinian priest for many years and was even in charge of eleven Augustinian monasteries. Luther had given his life to the celibate priesthood. He loved the Roman Catholic Church and wanted his church, the RCC, to correct some of its abuses in Rome.

Rather than respecting Luther’s recommendations, the ego-centered leaders of the RCC in Rome decided to call Luther a heretic, making it impossible for Luther to remain in the church that he loved.

Why is Pope Benedict XVI, in my opinion, acting like the ego-centered leaders of the 16th century Roman Catholic Church who pushed Luther out of his own church?

Now that many of us Catholics are aware that it was the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church who treated Martin Luther unjustly, I am happy to welcome Lutherans as fellow followers of Jesus on the way.

I wish the Pope did not have such a narrow vision of what it is to be Catholic. The word Catholic means Universal. More and more the Roman Catholic Church is becoming the church of fewer and fewer, rather than more and more, under the present leadership from Rome.

I guess it is all about who has the power, rather than how can we unite to give God all the glory!